Animal-trap.



No. 868,917. PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

T. H. DONLON.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 28, 1907.

Emu!!!" "\Q wmm 9 79 76 THOMAS HIDONLON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed January 28, 1907. Serial No. 354,446.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'lnonAs I'I. DONLON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps; and Ido hereby d eel-are the iollowing to be a iull, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it'appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of animal-traps commonly known asjawtraps; and it consists of a novel means by which the jaws of the trapare held open and the bait-pan in setposition.

The invention further consists of the peculiar construction of theseveral parts and their general arrange ment and combination, as will behereinaiter iully d escribed in this specification and briefly stated inthe claim.

The principal obj ects of the invention are to simplify and cheapen thecost of construction of this class of traps, and to render thesetting-mechanism more sensitive to disturbancev by animals, so that itwill be practically impossible lor them to disturb the bait withoutbeing caught.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon a completedisclosure thereof.

In the drawing l igure 1 is a plan view of the trap in set-position;Fig. 2, a side elevation, showing the parts in normal or unsetposition;Fig. 3, a similar view, showing the parts in set-position, a portion ofone of the jaws being broken away to more clearly show thesettingmechanisln; Fig. perspective view of the settingmechanisln; Fig.5, a similar view to Fig. 3, showing a modified form ofsivtting-mechanism, and Fig. 6 a perspective view of til 0 modiliedsetting-mechanism.

In the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the base-plate, 2 thejaws, and 3 the spring.

The respective ends of the base-plate are bentup, and the bent up endsare provided with apertures 4, 4, in which are pivoted the jaws. Eachjaw is provided with a guard 5, composed of a series ofdownwardlycxtending fingers 6 which serve to prevent a caught animalfrom gnawing himself loose, itcaught by the foot. The jaws are closed,and maintained in closed position, by the pressure exerted by the spring3, which is of the usual type employed in this class of traps.

The setting-mechanism is composed of an angle-plate 8, a rockable-barE), and a baitplate or pan 10. The angle-plate is rigidly secured to thebase-plate and is provided with cars 11, 11, in which is journaled therockable-bar 9. The respective ends of the rockablebar are bent to formhooks 12, 12, which are adapted to engage the jaws when the trap is set.The central portion of the rockable-bar is provided with a lug 13, towhich the bait-pan is pivoted. The front end of the bait-pan is providedwith a hook or catch 14, which is adapted to engage the front bent upend of the baseplate, when the rockable-bar is rocked forward to causeits hooked ends to engage the jaws, as shown in Fig. 3.

When the trapis set, the pressure exerted by the springpressed jaws uponthe hooked ends of the rockable-bar causes the catch or hooked end ofthe bait-pan to engage the upturned end of the baseplate, withsufficient irictional contact to hold the jaws in set-position. When ananimal tries to take the bait the frictional contact is broken, settingthe jaws free to the action of the spring and catching the animal.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the setting-1nechanism iscomposed of an angle-plate 15, which has its forward end bent upward,and provided with apertures 16, 16, corresponding with the apertures 4,4, through which pass the pivots of the respective jaws.

The other end of the angle-plate 15 is also bent upward,

and forms a stud or post 17 to which the bait-pan is pivoted. Thecentral portion of the angle-plate is provid ed with oppositely-disposedcars 18, 18, in which the rockable-bar 19 is journaled. The rockable-baris provided with engaging-hooks 20, 20, adapted to engage the jaws whenthe trap is to be set, and with a central stud 21 adapted to engage anotch or recess 22 in the iront end of the bait-pan, as shown in Fig. 6.In this form of setting-mechanism, the pressure exerted by thespring-pressed jaws upon the hooked ends of the rockable-bar, tends toforce the stud 21 against the vertical wall of the notch 22, withsufficient frictionalcontact to maintain the jaws in set position, untilthe contact is broken by an animal seeking to obtain the bait securedupon the bait-pan.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an aniinabtrap, the combination with a suitable base-plate andspring-actuated jaws, of an angle-plate, a rockablebar journaled in saidangle-plate and provided with jaw-engaging hooks, and a pivotedbait-pan.

2. In an animal-trap, the combination with a suitable baseplate, andspring-actuated jaws provided with guard- [in ,rs, of an angle-plate, arockablel ar journaled in said angle-plate and provided withjaw-engaging hooks, and a pivoted bait-pan.

3. In an animabtrap, the combination with a suitable base-plate andspring-actuated jaws, of an angle-plate, a lockable-bar journaled insaid angle-plate, said rockablebar being provided with hooks adapted toengage the springactuated jaws, a vertical catch, and a bait-pa11 havingits forward end adapted to engage said catch, so that when the bait-panis set, the pressure exerted by the jaws will cause the rockahIe-bar tohold said bait-pan in its set position.

4. In an animal-trap, the combination with n base-plate having anupturned end, and spring-actuated jaws pro vided with guard-fingers, ofan angle-plaie, a rockabie-halr journaied in the single-plate, and abait-pan pivoted to the lockable-bar, said rockublebar being providedwith hooks adapted to engage the springhctuated jaws, and the baitpanprovided with an end adapted to engage the upturned end of thebase-plate, so that when the bait-pan is set, 10 the pressure exerted bythe jaws will cause the rockahiebar to hold said bait-pun in its setposition.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS H. DONLON.

Witnesses JOHN J. BIALONEY, JERRY W. DONOVAN.

